The only thing you forget to mention, my friend, is that many of the accusations against Bush's judicial nominees are true. Does that not count for anything? Why is it that every time anyone (particularly Democrats) attack these candidates, Republicans attack the attackee without actually addressing the accusations pointed at the candidates. I haven't looked at all of Bush's nominees but the ones I took the time to look into were VERY SCARY people. There was a black lady who is racist, a bigot who didn't think Federal laws should be upheld by state courts and a loony in Idaho who thinks we need a revolution and who has never even been a judge. I am surprised that you guys on the Right are not even upset that these people are nuts. Cheers!

I don't mean to be offensive but I think that everyone here has drawn a conclusion about Europe. The truth is that these countries in EE, to which I've actually traveled on occasion, view the USA itself as the symbol of Democracy and the President of it as the head of that symbol. For years, they wished that the USA would do something to help them break the Soviet yoke and now that we are "helping" other countries they see it as a boon. While I think we ARE doing some good in the world, we are doing a lot of terrible things for peace and freedom. For one thing, he is all but ignoring Africa, which has many nations suffering from civil wars, disease and famine (Bush actually has cut aid in many areas there). He is supporting leftist (semi-Communist) regimes in Central and South American as long as they agree to his trade proposals. He is allowing, and even promoting, trade with China which is one of the least free countries in the world. Last and biggest spike in the Republican eye is the fact that the way he was misleading about the Iraq invasion has proven to many Iraqis that what the terrorists say about the USA is true, hence the anti-American fighters in that country that are as powerful today as two years ago. While he has done and stumbled on a few things that helped Freedom, he has done much evil as well. My conclusion is that if the people in Eastern Europe knew all the facts about Bush, they would be scared to have him in their country. It's easier to overlook bad things about someone when you don't have to live with them and deal with them all the time.

The things the French do nowadays ALMOST make me want to boycott their country. If it were not for the fact that in France, like America, the government does more or less what it wants despite public opinion, I would not visit the country again. As it is, the people are leashed by political rhetoric as in America and that makes them slightly less than guilty.

I've always respected Gingrich but never trusted him. I've always considered him a civil-radical, basically someone like Tom DeLay who hides his true political being from the public via a persona he promotes. Many ideas, but bad ones for the most part, issue from his mind. He is brilliant but could have used his mental powers for better aims. He seems to having somewhat better ideas as he gets older so maybe there is hope. Good post and good write-up on Gingrich, even if I disagree with much of it.